List of regions of Saskatchewan

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File:Flag of Saskatchewan.svg

File:Saskatchewan Updated Static Map.png.]]

The regional designations vary widely within the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. With a total land area of 651,036 square kilometres (251,366 sq mi), Saskatchewan is crossed by major rivers such as the Churchill and the Saskatchewan, and exists mostly within the Hudson Bay drainage area. Its borders were set at its entry into Confederation in 1905, and Saskatchewan is one of only two landlocked provinces (the other is Alberta) and the only province whose borders are not based on natural features.

As the fifth largest province by area (and sixth largest by population), Saskatchewan has been divided up into unofficial and official regions in many ways. In addition, it is part of larger national regions.

Colloquial regions

= Cardinal regions =

The province is regularly divided into three regions of Northern, Central, and Southern Saskatchewan, the latter two of which include the subregions of East-Central, Southeast, Southwestern, and West-Central Saskatchewan. Along with these regions, the terms Northwestern and Northeastern Saskatchewan may be used to refer to the furthest north reaches of Central Saskatchewan; or, less often, they may be used to divide Northern Saskatchewan into two.

= Other regions =

Parts of Saskatchewan have been given formal and informal names, including:

  • Garlic Belt (or Perogy Belt), across Central Saskatchewan, especially around the Canora and Yorkton areas, and part of the larger region that spreads from Central Alberta to Southern Manitoba, nicknamed for its abundance of people of Ukrainian descent.{{Cite book |last=Barry |first=Bill |title=Ukrainian people places: The Ukrainians, Germans, Mennonites, Hutterites and Doukhobors and the names they brought to Saskatchewan |year=2001}}{{Cite web |last=Saskatchewan |first=Heritage |title=Childhood Memories Inspire Me to Keep Living Heritage Alive {{!}} Heritage Sask |url=https://heritagesask.ca/news/childhood-memories-inspire-me |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=heritagesask.ca |language=en}}
  • Ghost Town Trail, region of largely abandoned communities spanning across the southern part of the province and centred around Highway 13.{{Cite book |last=Bachusky |first=Johnnie |title=Ghost Town Stories of the Red Coat Trail: From Renegade to Ruin on the Canadian Prairies |date=2011 |publisher=Heritage House |isbn=978-1-926936-20-8 |editor=Lesley Reynolds |oclc=798827407}}
  • Medicine Line, along the border between Canada and the United States (from the Lake of the Woods to the continental divide), named so by Native Americans because of its ability to prevent U.S. soldiers from crossing it.{{cite book |last=Rees |first=Tony |title=Arc of the Medicine Line-Mapping the World's Longest Undefended Border Across the Western Plains |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-8032-1791-1 |location=Lincoln, NE |page=5}}
  • White Butte, consisting of the bedroom communities directly east of Regina—White City, Pilot Butte, and Balgonie—and their surrounding area{{Citation |title=A Brief History - White Butte Regional Planning Committee |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwDl1zJA4K8 |access-date=2021-07-06 |language=en}}

Provincial designations

= Former health regions =

Until 2017, the province was divided into 13 health regions.{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2017-12-21 |title=Map 10 Saskatchewan Health Regions, 2017 |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-402-x/2017001/maps-cartes/rm-cr10-eng.htm |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=www150.statcan.gc.ca}} As of December 4, 2017, it is considered defunct, as all health regions in Saskatchewan have been replaced by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.{{Cite news |title=Patients won't yet see changes with single Sask. health authority, CEO says |language=en |work=CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/new-single-health-authority-board-1.4432002 |access-date=2017-12-06}}

= Library districts =

Saskatchewan’s public library system includes three municipal library systems, seven regional library systems, one northern library federation, and a provincial library.{{Cite web |title=Library System in Saskatchewan {{!}} Saskatchewan Education and Learning |url=https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/education-and-learning/library-system-in-saskatchewan |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=Government of Saskatchewan |language=en}}

  • Chinook Regional Library, serving the southwestern part of the province, including Swift Current.
  • City of Prince Albert Public Library Board, serving the city of Prince Albert.
  • Lakeland Regional Library, serving the Battlefords and surrounding areas.
  • Pahkisimon Nuye?áh System, serving Northern Saskatchewan.
  • Palliser Regional Library, serving Moose Jaw and surrounding areas.
  • Parkland Regional Library, serving the east-central part of the province, including Yorkton.
  • Regina Public Library, serving the city of Regina.
  • Saskatoon Public Library, serving the city of Saskatoon.
  • Southeast Regional Library, serving the southeast part of the province, including Estevan and Weyburn.
  • Wapiti Regional Library, serving Melfort, Nipawin, and surrounding areas.
  • Wheatland Regional Library, serving the west-central part of the province, including Kindersley and areas around Saskatoon.

= Phone book distribution regions =

DirectWest, a division of SaskTel, distributes ten telephone directories throughout the province in ten different regions—one each for Regina and Saskatoon, and eight more based generally on proximity to major centres.

  • Estevan/Weyburn and District, serving the southeast part of the province.
  • Melville/Yorkton and District, serving the east-central part of the province.
  • Moose Jaw and District, serving the south-central part of the province.
  • North Battleford and District, serving the west-central and northwest parts of the province.
  • Prince Albert and District, serving the north-central and northeast parts of the province.
  • Regina City, covering Regina and surrounding area.
  • Regina District, covering areas including Highway 1 East, Highway 48, Last Mountain Lake, and the Qu’Appelle Valley.
  • Saskatoon City, covering Saskatoon and surrounding area.
  • Saskatoon District, covering areas including Highway 5, Highway 16, and the South Saskatchewan River Valley.
  • Swift Current and District, covering the southwest part of the province.

= Rural municipality divisions =

{{Main|Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities}}

The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities has divided the provinces rural municipalities into six regions, each of which is represented by a member on its board of directors.{{Cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://sarm.ca/about/board |access-date=October 13, 2021 |publisher=Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities}} Note that the northern half of the province is not part of any rural municipalities; instead, much of it is unorganized, thus being part of the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District.{{cite web |title=Northern Saskatchewan Administration District |url=https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/first-nations-metis-and-northern-community-businesses/economic-development/northern-administration-district |access-date=July 29, 2020 |publisher=Government of Saskatchewan}}

= Sport, Culture, and Recreation districts =

The province is divided into nine districts for sport, culture, and recreation purposes, each of which are headed by a volunteer, non-profit organization.{{Cite web |title=Sport, Culture and Recreation Districts |url=https://www.sasksport.ca/about-us/sport-culture-and-recreation-districts/ |access-date=2021-09-16 |website=Sask Sport |language=en-US}} Two of the districts (Regina and Saskatoon) represent the provinces main urban centres, while the other seven districts represent a mix of urban and rural areas. These districts are used, for example, as the teams for the Saskatchewan Games.{{Cite web |title=District Teams « Saskatchewan Games Council |url=https://saskgames.ca/district-teams |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=saskgames.ca}}

= Tourism regions =

Tourism Saskatchewan designates five regions in the province for travel promotion.{{Cite web |title=Tourism Saskatchewan |url=https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/ |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=www.tourismsaskatchewan.com}}{{Cite book |last=Tourism Saskatchewan |title=2022 Saskatchewan Travel Guide |year=2022}}

= Wildlife federation regions =

The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation divides its branches and work across the province into six regions.{{Cite web |title=Map of Regions |url=https://swf.sk.ca/staff/map-regions/ |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation |language=en-US}}

Federal designations

= Census divisions =

{{Main|List of census divisions of Saskatchewan}}

Statistics Canada has divided Saskatchewan into 18 census divisions for statistical purposes; although, they do not reflect the organization of local government nor any common regions in the province.{{cite web |last=Statistics Canada |author-link=Statistics Canada |title=Illustrated Glossary: Census Geography |url=http://geodepot.statcan.ca/Diss/Reference/COGG/Index_e.cfm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514114205/http://geodepot.statcan.ca/Diss/Reference/COGG/Index_e.cfm |archive-date=2011-05-14 |access-date=2006-10-11}}

= Economic regions =

Statistics Canada has divided Saskatchewan into 6 economic regions, meant to reflect the province’s hubs of economic activity and their surrounding areas.{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2018-07-23 |title=Alternative format |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/alternative_alternatif.cfm?l=eng&k=7800&teng=Standard%20Geographical%20Classification,%20National%20maps,%20Economic%20regions%20and%20census%20divisions,%202011&loc=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/geo/map-carte/pdf/2011-12572-01-D.pdf |access-date=2022-09-08 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}

= Federal electoral districts =

{{Main|List of Canadian federal electoral districts}}

Saskatchewan is divided into 14 federal electoral districts and thus is represented by 14 of the 338 members of Canada's House of Commons. Following the 2012 Canadian federal electoral redistribution, Saskatchewan had five urban districts, one hybrid district, and eight mostly-rural districts.{{cite web |title=Redistribution of Federal Electoral Districts |url=http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir/red&document=index&lang=e |publisher=Elections Canada}} The upcoming 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution is set to make changes to the current layout.{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Elections |date=2021-08-13 |title=Redistribution of Federal Electoral Districts 2022 |url=https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir/red&document=index&lang=e |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818145116/https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir%2Fred&document=index&lang=e |archive-date=2021-08-18 |access-date=2021-08-16 |website=www.elections.ca}}

= Numbered treaties =

{{Main|Numbered Treaties}}

The entirety of Saskatchewan is covered by the territory of Numbered Treaties.{{Cite web |title=Canada in the Making: Treaty Overview |url=http://www.canadiana.ca/citm/specifique/numtreatyoverview_e.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407064215/http://www.canadiana.ca/citm/specifique/numtreatyoverview_e.html |archive-date=7 April 2015 |access-date=2015-03-03 |publisher=Canadiana}}

Climate and geographical designations

= Drainage basins =

Most water in Saskatchewan drains to Hudson Bay through the Churchill and Nelson river basins,{{cite book |last1=Benke |first1=Arthur C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=faOU1wkiYFIC&q=lakes+Rivers+Saskatchewan&pg=RA5-PA858 |title=Rivers of North America: The Natural History |last2=Cushing |first2=Colbert E. |publisher=Academic Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-12-088253-1 |pages=853–903 |access-date=2009-01-06}} although some drains to the Arctic Ocean in the far north and the Gulf of Mexico in the far southwest.{{cite book |last1=Benke |first1=Arthur C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=faOU1wkiYFIC&q=lakes+Rivers+Saskatchewan&pg=RA5-PA858 |title=Rivers of North America: The Natural History |last2=Cushing |first2=Colbert E. |publisher=Academic Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-12-088253-1 |pages=853–903 |access-date=2009-01-06}}

= Ecozones and ecoprovinces =

{{Main|Ecozones of Canada}}

Saskatchewan is home to four of Canada’s 15 ecozones, as defined by the 2017 Ecological Land Classification.{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2018-01-10 |title=Introduction to the Ecological Land Classification (ELC) 2017 |url=https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/subjects/standard/environment/elc/2017-1 |access-date=2020-11-09 |website=www.statcan.gc.ca}} These ecozones are further divided into numerous ecoprovinces, ecoregions, and ecodistricts.

= Koppen climate regions =

Being in the centre of North America, Saskatchewan is far removed from the moderating effects of any large body of water and therefore has a temperate continental climate, Köppen climate classification types BSk, Dfb and Dfc.{{cite web |last=Cote |first=Mark |title=Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan: Climate |url=http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/climate.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901122442/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/climate.html |archive-date=2010-09-01 |access-date=2009-01-08}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Saskatchewan topics}}

{{Subdivisions of Saskatchewan}}

Saskatchewan

Regions